Ok, you're not here.
J/K.
Good points. I've posted a thread in general discussion a couple times announcing shows, but I wonder if they say "there's a lack of participation so not sure there's much to look at". >>I'm trying to think of the worst case scenario thoughts of the general discussion board guys. We can only go up from there.
Here's some thoughts I've had about the low participation factor. I have no right to point fingers and I'm saying this in a nice tone, but it bugs me a bit that there's a page here on the Lat-G site that allows artists to post links to their websites and most of those guys don't post anything here anymore, not even a sentence or two in a reply to a post. Isn't participating a good way to say thanks for the free advertising? On the other hand, I know I'm scraping to find time to participate in the show, even on a part time working towards full time car art basis. So, I do understand perhaps why they don't post and I feel their pain. I can only compare it to the H.A.M.B. forum's art show. They post EVERY Friday. I think at least half if not more of those guys are full time, yet they post something every week. Sometimes its just a sketch or idea, sometimes it's something for a client, sometimes its a pencil drawing, sometimes a full on computer rendering. They really don't care about the quality of the work, they have from beginner to professional levels, and they all talk to each other like this is a blast. Everyone is supportive and positive. They also don't care about putting work up every week, knowing that somewhere in cyberspace that someone is taking your work and saving it as a desk top and/or although it stinks, somewhere someday someone may steal your ideas or art. I wonder if that scares off the full timers a bit? Another cool thing about the hamb is they have a side group you can join where it's just the artist's corner where they chat back and forth. I joined it recently and those guys are really tight knit and open to share ideas and insight. When I was considering doing this full time I emailed several popular g-machine style artists and told them I admire their work and asked a few questions. Some wouldn't reply at all. Some replied all excited that I appreciated them and said they like to visit with folks that like their stuff- but once I emailed back with an example of my work I never heard back. Lame. Ben Hermance did write back a couple times and I was gracious for his time. To me, he's as famous as a movie star and I have a great deal of respect for him. When I take Chip Foose's spot in the world someday
I plan on using my resources to have a yearly SEMA type show just for automotive artists. I think we should all be friends, not competition. There's enough work out there for all of us. What's the best way to improve? By learning and trying, sometimes that means learning from each other, not just books.
I started drawing cars 26 years ago at age 12. I feel I got pretty good, using Cartoons mag as my inspiration. By the time I was in high school I drew cars for almost every school project. My 11th grade "commercial art" class teacher said "stop drawing cars, there's no money to be made in it". I was disappointed and down and unfortunately I listened. I lost interest in school and after graduating with a lousy gpa I turned to drag racing to meet my car needs and put my drawing on the shelf. At 25 I pulled my head out and started college for graphic design. 2 years into it my professor said with my mechanical and art abilities as well as a passion for cars, I should transfer to another school that had Industrial/transportation design classes. I'd never heard of that and it lit my fire. After a couple years I found I'd rather draw old cars than new concept deals, so after graduating I went in the graphic design field and again put car things on hold for a couple years. A couple years ago I decided I want to do what I love for a living and started putting plans together to become full time drawing hot rods. Now here I am, almost there. I guess in saying all of this you guys can prolly relate, as well as how cool would have been if something like this was around when I was 12 and just starting out? How cool would it have been to shoot posts back and forth with Thom Taylor and Steve Stanford at the time? To get critiques and insight on how to improve? I'd like to see this art forum get to that point, because I still love Thom and Steve's work and would love to shake hands and say thanks to both of them, but now we're the new generation in the lime light. How often do you see Rushforth, Brockmeyer, Hermance and others in mags? Those guys are my heros too, imagine what 12 year olds think of them when they flip open the mags? How cool would it be if we all from kids to to the retiring soon crowd could all rub shoulders here? Only way for that to happen is if we get the word out AND if we take a few minutes every couple of days to participate.
When I wrote the mods recently I asked for a stickey "introductions" thread and I'd also like to see a stickey "Cool tutorials and stuff" thread, besides a stickey thread explaining how to participate in the monthly show.
About styles- On the hamb forum I gotta keep a bit of a low profile because most of my work is muscle cars and G machines. They're very traditional and don't like that stuff much. I think it's good to be open to all cars, I even dig some imports and lowrider stuff that most of my friends think is lame. I love the old school nature of hamb's art but it's hard for me to participate so I'm much more vocal here.
Knowing what the masses like would be nice. I'd guess though that based on the nature of the overall forum G machines is what folks come here to see. I'm even embarrassed a bit to throw photos of my ride on the main forum because it's lowered but it's just cut springs and stock parts otherwise with 15" rims. I've got less than $2500 in the whole car and most folks here have 20-40X that in their cars, and I feel very out of place. Ultimately I would guess the mods may lean towards G-art because that's the core of Lat-G.net but perhaps the consensus of the group as a whole would say otherwise. After SEMA lets look into doing a pole on the forum. I don't mind at all heading things up and being the voice for all of us, unless someone else really wants to take the ball. Either way I'm cool with it.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
What do you guys think?
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